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N’Keal Harry was wide open — and it’s not too unfair to say that he’s rarely as open as he was on Cam Newton’s final throw of the New England Patriots’ 18-12 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 6.
New England was facing a fourth-and-10, and Newton, Harry and the Patriots offense needed a first down to complete their comeback over a Broncos team that had just one win entering the game. But Newton fired high and wide left. Game over. The throw was so far from Harry that it led some to wonder: Was Newton simply influenced by the pass rusher, which was collapsing the pocket around him? Or did the receiver run the wrong route?
“Well we didn’t execute the way we’re supposed to and that’s a lot,” Newton said after the game on Sunday. “That was contingent upon me. I knew I was going to get hit. So I just tried to find a spot to give him, so he could make a play on it. There was a defender on the interior part stealing the field, so I still tried to give him an opportunity. So that’s what it came down to.”
It’s possible that Newton threw the ball high and outside because he was under pressure. Clearly, he could set his feet properly. Clearly, he felt the pressure from the blindside, where he’d taken two violent sacks earlier in the game. But it’s also possible that Harry was in the wrong place, with the defensive back seemingly forcing the receiver to the outside while Harry turned inside.
“It wasn’t a miscommunication, I tried to anticipate where he was going to be, I let the ball go prior to him breaking on his initial route,” Harry said. “I knew I was going to get hit and I tried to give him a chance.”
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